Simpson's second half rally seals road win

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

There was a brisk cold wind blowing on senior night at Grey Cobb field on the campus of Lamar School last night in Meridian and after one half of play it appeared that the stiff northerly wind and the emotions of hosting top ranked Simpson would carry Lamar to a huge upset win. After spotting Lamar a 14-0 halftime lead the Simpson Cougars exploded in the second half to earn a 28-14 win and finish off a perfect 10-0 regular season heading into next week’s opening round of the MAIS playoffs.

Senior tailbacks Cade Eiland and Garrett Taylor combined for 296 rushing yards and three touchdowns for Simpson and the Cougar defense forced four Lamar turnovers en-route to the victory.

(Above) Simpson tailback Cade Eiland (#2) gets a block from teammate Garrett Taylor (#5) 

Early on Lamar looked to be the squad eager to capitalize on turnovers as sophomore defensive lineman Jonathan Young recovered a Simpson fumble at the Lamar 32 yard line on the fourth play from scrimmage.

Lamar quarterback Tyler Harris then orchestrated an eight play, 68 yard drive that culminated on a wild 4^th and nine play from the Simpson 27 yard line. Harris would be forced to scramble and the senior launched a pass just over the outstretched hands of a Simpson defender to connect with Gane Duggan in the endzone at the 7:11 mark of the first quarter. Dusty Weisner’s PAT gave the Raiders an early 7-0 lead.

Lamar took advantage of the wind at their back to end the first quarter. After a 37 yard punt from Simpson’s Michael Layton set the Raiders up at their own 35 yard line with just one second remaining in the opening quarter, Tyler Harris nailed Gane Duggan on a sideline route and the senior tailback outraced the Simpson defenders for a 65 yard touchdown connection that brought the Lamar crowd into a frenzy. Weisner’s PAT ended the quarter as a shocked Simpson squad stared at a 14-0 deficit after one quarter of play.

Simpson’s only scoring threat of the first half came with eleven seconds remaining as the Cougars managed to drive to the Lamar 13 yard line where they were forced to try a 30 yard field goal attempt but Lamar’s Michael Marcello keep Simpson scoreless as the senior broke around the edge to block the attempt to end the half.

The huge momentum that Lamar took into the locker-room at the half dissipated in the third quarter. After Simpson forced Lamar to punt on their opening possession of the second half the Cougars struck like lightening as Garrett Taylor took a direct snap and motored 58 yards to pay-dirt on Simpson’s first play of the third quarter. Robert Berry’s PAT cut the deficit in half at 14-7 with 10:17 left in the quarter.

(Above) Simpson defensive lineman Tyler Sanford (#51) stops Lamar's  Corey Skinner (#42)

Simpson struck again at the 2:40 mark of the quarter as junior defensive back Chris Sullivan scooped up a Lamar fumble at the Raider 17 yard line and scampered into the end zone. Berry’s PAT knotted the contest at 14-14.

Entering into the final quarter with the game tied at 14-14 Simpson pounded out a 66 yard drive that included a healthy dose of Cade Eiland. The senior rushed for 49 yards on the drive and capped it with a 36 yard burst for glory with 7:49 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Cougars their first lead of the night at 20-14.

Things quickly deteriorated for Lamar. The Raiders set up shop at their own 21 on the ensuing possession but on first down Tyler Harris fumbled while being sacked by Simpson defensive end Mason Fewell and junior Shane Brown recovered for the Cougars at the Lamar 19 yard line.

Two plays later Cade Eiland increased the Simpson lead as the senior went in from five yards out at the 7:13 mark of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Brandon Johnston then hit Garrett Taylor for the successful two point conversion to give Simpson a 28-14 lead.

Simpson dashed any hopes of a Lamar comeback as sophomore linebacker Daniel Taylor picked of Tyler Harris at the Cougar 47 yard line with 5:45 remaining in the game.

(Above) Simpson quarterback Brandon Johnston (#4) tightropes the sidelines late in the game 

With the win Simpson finished the regular season campaign at 10-0 and 3-0 in District 4-AA play.

Lamar falls to 6-5 and finished 1-2 and third in district.

Tailback Cade Eiland led the Cougars with 176 yards rushing on 31 carries and two touchdowns while fellow senior tailback Garrett Taylor added 120 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown.

Gane Duggan of Lamar picked up 104 yards on 3 receptions and two touchdowns, Tyler Harris passed for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns and Michael Marcello rushed for 45 yards on 5 carries.

Simpson will enjoy home field advantage throughout the playoffs and will host Silliman next Friday in Mendenhall.Lamar will travel to Centreville as the top wildcard team from the south and will take on the 3^rd ranked Tigers.

.

Post Game with Simpson head coach Billy Wayne Hankins

Brookhaven topples Trinity on the road

By Brett Rutland

If you follow MAIS football and aren't a Brookhaven Academy fan, then you are one of many that believed that the Cougars had little chance in winning the District 5-AA championship.  Thanks to reclassification, the Cougars found themselves in the same district with perennial power Trinity Episcopal.  The two teams squared off Friday night for the district title in Natchez, and no one really expected the game to unfold as it did. 

Brookhaven upset second ranked Trinity 40-36, thanks to four big plays from the players one would expect to lead the team.  Seniors Bubba Keene and Will Lucas each recorded two touchdowns, with each player reaching pay dirt at a time the Cougars desperately needed it.

Keene had a 67 yard punt return and a 40 yard interception return in the fourth quarter, helping Brookhaven erase a 28-21 deficit and giving the visitors a 33-28 lead with 6:46 left to play. 

Trinity had one last bid for heroics as Tip McKenzie took a Scott Turner pass and racing 75 yards for the score, giving the Saints a 36-33 lead with just 1:49 remaining, and apparently saving their district title aspirations.

Brookhaven's last drive seemed to be fading just as their lead had, until junior quarterback Gage Posey heaved what most probably thought was a desperation towards the end zone.  But Posey had spotted a tremendously wide open Lucas for the 52 yard touchdown with 1:03 remaining.

The Cougars were able to force an incompletion from the Saints on fourth down in the waning seconds to secure the win and the district title. 

"Our kids showed a lot of heart tonight."  said Brookhaven head coach Tripp McCarty.  "There were several times that they could've wilted and dropped their heads, but they kept fighting and playing hard.  We got some big plays from some big players.  It's a big win against a good football team."

Brookhaven appeared to set the tone right away to start the game.  After holding Trinity to a three and out to open the game, the Cougar offense put together a 9 play, 55 yard drive that ended with Posey scoring on a five yard run.  Keene added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

Trinity responded with a 7 play, 95 yard drive that ended with Turner connecting with Jacob Sandrock from 30 yards out, giving the Saints an 8-7 lead after McKenzie added the two point conversion.

Each team added one more score in the first half.  McKenzie scored on a three yard run with 8:43 left, and Posey connected with Lucas from 24 yards out with 6:43 remaining, giving the Saints a 14-13 lead at the break.

Turner connected with Caleb Cross to open the scoring in the third, on a 27 yard pass with 9:00 remaining in the quarter. 

Brookhaven responded at the 6:23 mark as Keene scored on a three yard run.  But it took Trinity just 20 seconds to answer as McKenzie caught a screen pass from Turner and raced 65 yards for the scoring, giving the Saints a 28-21 lead heading into the final frame. 

Brookhaven wins its sixth consecutive district championship, and in the process, halts Trinity's district win streak.  The Saints dropped a district game for the first time since the 2005 season. 

"We gave up some big plays to a better football team tonight."  said Trinity head coach David King.  "We knew that Brookhaven was a good team and we've told our kids all week they better be prepared for a battle, and that's exactly what we got.  It seems like every time we play Brookhaven it's a big play that is the difference and tonight was no different."

Posey led the Brookhaven offense, completing 9 of his 24 pass attempts for 153 yards and two touchdowns.  He was intercepted once.  Landon Nettles picked up 71 yards on 17 carries in support.  Lucas was the leading receiver with two catches for 76 yards, with both catches being touchdowns.  Keene caught three passes for 37 yards.

Scott Turner completed 14 of his 33 pass attempts for 344 yards and four touchdowns.  McKenzie was the leading receiver with four catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns.  Tanner Cage picked up 57 yards  on 6 carries.

On defense, Jeff Rushing and Bailey Hodge each recorded 15 tackles.  Eli Gatlin added 8 stops in support.  Bubba Keene, Ken Britt, and Hunter Franklin each registered 7 stops.  Keene, Seth Rushing and Matthew Evans each recorded an interception.  Garrett Pace recovered a fumble. 

Brookhaven will host Oak Forest, the number 2 seed from District 6, in the first round of the MAIS AA state playoffs Friday.   Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Photos Courtesy of Sherylyn Evans

Junior tandem propels North Delta to title
Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas
If the names Tyler Pirtle and Taylor Morris aren’t familiar get used to hearing their names. The junior duo led third ranked North Delta to an impressive 40-19 win at Indianola last night to wrap up the Green Wave’s second consecutive District 1AA championship. Pirtle led the offensive onslaught with 156 yards through the air and 2 touchdowns and rolled up 101 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the night. When the junior signal-caller wasn’t picking apart the Indianola defense fellow junior Taylor Morris was bursting through holes as he picked up 93 yards and a touchdown. Morris went over the 1,500 yard rushing mark in last night’s win.

Indianola got off to a shaky start as a Colonel fumble on the second play from scrimmage was recovered by North Delta’s Kyle Devazier just inside the Indianola 29 yard line.

North Delta made good on the turnover four plays later as Tyler Pirtle went in from 10 yards out to give the Green Waves a quick 6-0 start.

(Above) North Delta quarterback Tyler Pirtle hits paydirt

Indianola answered the call on their next possession. On a second and 7 from their own 46 yard line quarterback Taylor Marlow connected with Trey Roberson for a 36 yard gain to the Green Wave 18. Six plays later Marlow hit Dustin Roncali on a crossing route to cap an eight play, 57 yard drive to knot the contest at 6-6 with 6:56 left in the opening quarter.

North Delta broke the tie thirty seconds into the second quarter. Tyler Pirtle hit pay dirt from one yard out to finish off a 43 yard drive that would put the Green Waves on top for good. William Dean’s PAT gave North Delta a 13-6 lead at the 11:34 mark of the second quarter.

Indianola picked up some steam as they started a drive from their own 18 yard line with 6:39 remaining in the half. Following an eight yard pickup from tailback Dustin Roncali on the seventh play of the drive that advanced the ball to the North Delta 19 yard line the Colonels went backwards as a penalty and a big eleven yard loss due to a quarterback sacked pushed the line of scrimmage back to the Green Wave 33 yard line. Two plays later and facing a fourth and 16 Indianola decided to gamble but an incomplete pass gave North Delta possession with 1:56 left in the half.

The failed fourth down attempt proved crucial as North Delta took just three plays to cash in. Tyler Pirtle connected with Taylor Morris for a quick 18 yard pick up to the Indianola 49 yard line. Pirtle then scampered for nine yards to the Colonel 40. On the next play Pirtle hooked up with wide-out Bailey Guckert with a perfectly thrown 40 yard pass to give North Delta a 19-6 advantage with 1:09 left in the first half. William Dean’s PAT gave North Delta a 20-6 lead.

The third ranked Green Waves took a three touchdown lead to open the third quarter. Tyler Pirtle hit older brother Colby Pirtle with a 36 yard touchdown strike at the 9:44 mark to cap a six play, 75 yard drive and Dean’s PAT increased the lead to 27-6.

Indianola made things interesting as the Colonels recovered a North Delta fumble at the Green Wave 35 yard line and capitalized four plays later on a Taylor Marlow six yard touchdown strike to sophomore Ashton Knight with 6:03 left in the third quarter. Ty Smith’s PAT pulled the Colonels back to within fourteen points at 27-13.

(Above) North Delta tailback Taylor Morris

Indianola appeared to have gained some much needed momentum as the Colonel defense forced North Delta into a three and out. Indianola set up shop at their own 19 yard line and promptly advanced to midfield but on a second and 4 that momentum dried up as Taylor Morris picked off a Marlow pass at the Green Wave 42 yard line with 1:33 remaining in the third quarter.

North Delta converted on the turnover as they pushed their way to a 58 yard, ten play drive that was finished off on Tyler Pirtle’s third rushing touchdown of the night as the junior went in from two yards out on a fourth and goal to give the Green Waves a 33-13 cushion.

Indianola’s next possession would end as the prior one did. This time North Delta linebacker Will Magee intercepted a Colonel pass at the Green Wave 42 yard line and North Delta again cashed in.

This time tailback Taylor Morris would receive the honors as the junior punched it in from three yards out to cap an eight play, 58 yard effort. William Dean added the PAT to give North Delta a commanding 40-13 lead with 2:15 remaining in regulation.

Indianola finished the night on a four yard touchdown run from senior tailback Dustin Roncali at the horn.

North Delta improves to 9-1 and a perfect 4-0 in district play. The Green Waves have reeled off seven straight wins since a week three loss to Washington. After replacing 19 starters from a 2010 squad that went 10-2 and came a touchdown shy of advancing to the Class AA state championship game North Delta has established themselves as a perennial contender under the direction of head coach Dan Werner.

North Delta will enjoy an idle week before hosting Manchester in round one of the playoffs.

Indianola slips to 4-5 and 1-2 and will close the regular season on the road against district foe Carroll. A Colonel victory would nail down a wildcard position.

.

Post Game with North Delta head coach Dan Werner

.

From the Notebook……..

>Week ten is here. Cool brisk weather is here. A clear picture and playoff bracket prognostications aren’t but it’s getting closer. What is clear is round two of the Class AA playoffs could produce some mighty matchups that will have MAIS fans very excited. While there are still two weeks of regular season football remaining it is very tempting to go ahead and pencil in some squads in an effort to see what potential battles may lay ahead for round two meetings. For instance, River Oaks at North Delta, Trinity at Simpson, Brookhaven at Centreville and a possible Leake at Marshall slobber knocker that is always fun.

The biggest topic of interest could very well be which squads stand the best chance to capture wildcard slots. It appears that Lamar and Silliman have the inside advantage in the south while Indianola and Winston have the edge in the north.

>In Class A football a few teams have cemented a slot in post-season. Two District 2A squads are virtual locks as Greenville Christian will probably qualify as a fourth seed and Benton should enter as the third seed. Friday night’s huge game between top ranked Tri-County and second ranked Winona will settle who the number one and two seeds from that district are.

The other interesting district is over in 3A which can be considered the most competitive district 1-5 in all Class A. Cenla and WCCA sit atop District 3A with perfect 5-0 marks but Cenla has a slightly more difficult schedule as they finish on the road at a surging and healthy Glenbrook team before hosting WCCA the final week. With the resurgence of Glenbrook and a Riverfield team that should finish 8-3 ASC could be the odd team out.

Newton has all but wrapped up the top seed from District 4A but the jockeying for the remaining three slots will be a barnburner as Prentiss, Heidelberg and Porter’s Chapel battle it out the final two weeks.

Tunica is in the driver’s seat in District 1A and Desoto, Bayou and Deer Creek will play out to determine the remaining three positions.

>Two injury updates from week nine.

Winston senior quarterback Tyler Sullivan suffered a dislocated and lacerated finger on his throwing hand against Starkville. Sullivan will miss this week’s game at Immanuel.

Central Private senior wide-out Lance Wicker suffered a torn ACL against Riverfield and has been lost for the season.

>I’ve been floored and very pleased at the quick recovery Southern Sports & Travel has had in only three weeks back up and running. The traffic to the site has been on a steady increase and to be honest my expectations were that it would take some time to re-attract longtime visitors. My thanks to you all.

>If you are one of the many who take the time and effort to send in updated scores each Friday night I’d like to thank you. It’s an important feature of the site to post live updated scores. Sometimes things don’t go smoothly due to certain areas having poor reception but progress is being made. What most don’t know is that when a score is sent it doesn’t come to me during the game. My wonderful sidekick of 27+ years sits quietly all to herself with her laptop and my cell phone and frantically tries to keep up with the hundreds of calls that pour in during the game.

>It seems as though each year tragedy strikes one of our young people. Last week a young lady who attended school with my oldest son was in a horrific auto accident and suffered severe injuries. Some of those injuries could have been lessened had she been wearing her seatbelt. It’s always heartbreaking when tragedy strikes but it’s also an opportunity to remind our kids to buckle up. Whether you’re an old fart like me or you have teenagers at home please tell them daily to buckle up.

>Below I’ve reposted an article I wrote as the 2010 football regular drew to a close. For many of our senior student-athletes these next two weeks will be the end of their high school athletic careers. My hope is that they make the most of a special time in their lives.
.

See ya somewhere………………

Glory days, they last forever
Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas
To quote the words of one of the most famous philosopher’s of my generation, “Glory days, well they’ll pass you by…..Glory days in the wink of a young girl’s eye…..Glory days, Glory days.” These words are from none other than the great Bruce Springsteen and while I humorously refer to him as a famous philosopher of my generation those words have a special and deep meaning that ring true in the hearts and minds of many post high school graduates such as myself.
The years have swiftly sped by but certain things can trigger memories from what most of us “old” folks consider as our “Glory Days.”
Last Friday I made the 275 mile drive north for the DeSoto at Tunica class A game. Having graduated from a small school it doesn’t take long for those memories to be refreshed in my mind. Small things can trigger thoughts and occurrences that took place some 28 years ago whether it’s the smell of freshly cut grass, cheerleaders on the sidelines (My wife was one) or the halftime entertainment that most football players never see.
On most Friday nights I spend lots of time reflecting about the game I just covered as I drive back home and in between text messages and calls I lay out in my mind how to write about that particular game. A portion of that reflection is also directed towards how special those years were for me and it generates a curiosity in my mind as to whether the athletes I see every Friday night will cherish those same things I did.
If you hear someone use the phrase “I wouldn’t have done anything differently” they’re probably not telling the truth. I like to tease some of the kids from time to time that they had better enjoy their high school playing days because they will wake up tomorrow, 45 years old, and asking where all the time went.
As the 2010 football season winds down and teams fight for playoff positions my hope is that along the way you relish the small things. The time spent just before and after the game, the handshakes or pats on the back from supporters, the special camaraderie amongst competitors, the bus rides and of course the butterflies before a game.
There is no substitution for high school football, there are no do-overs. As I frequently whispered into my son’s ear before games, "enjoy every minute of it because it’s special."
With only one game remaining for many and the playoffs on the horizon for some, enjoy the little things, live every play like it’s your last. Whether you’re a starter or a backup make the most of your opportunity to make memories so that you can be that one to honestly say, “I wouldn’t have done anything differently.”

Lions dominate Rebels to win 7th straight

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

Five years ago an NFL coach coined the phrase “They are who we thought they were” in referring to an opponent. Many who follow MAIS Class A football are using the same phrase when speaking of the 3^rd ranked Cenla Lions who put on a dominating performance in a 48-6 road win at 7^th ranked ASC.

Senior tailback Jacob Thomas produced 261 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns on offense and notched a 55 yard interception return for another touchdown as the Lions improved to 5-0 in District 3A and 8-1 overall.

(Above) Cenla quarterback Graham Kelly breaks loose 

In a first half full of big plays Cenla wasted little time in putting points on the board. After the Lion’s defense forced the Amite offense into a three and out on the opening possession of the night it took just 12 seconds for Cenla to hit pay-dirt. A Jacob Thomas fumble on Cenla’s first play from scrimmage was scooped up by sophomore wide-out Anthony Dunbar who scampered 54 yards to glory to give the Lions a quick 6-0 lead at the 9:31 mark of the opening quarter.

Thomas more than made up for the early fumble as the senior picked off ASC quarterback Brandon Terrell at the Cenla 45 yard line and raced 55 yards to extend the lead to 12-0 with 4:30 remaining in the 1^st quarter.

Cenla regained possession quickly as ASC junior tailback Bull Toler sustained a hard hit that resulted in a fumble recovery at the Rebel 26 yard line by Cenla freshman defensive lineman Josh Smith at the 4:11 mark.

Cenla quarterback Graham Kelly wasted little time as the senior nailed Jacob Thomas with a 26 yard touchdown strike to increase the Lion’s lead to 18-0 with just under four minutes remaining in the opening quarter.

ASC then put together their best drive of the night as the Rebels mounted a 20 play, 58 yard drive that included four 4^th down conversions and chewed up a remarkable 11 minutes. Bull Toler’s 10^th carry on the drive was a 1 yard 4^th down plunge into the end zone and at the 4:18 mark of the 2^nd quarter the Rebels had appeared to have halted Cenla’s momentum in trimming to deficit to 18-6.

 

(Above) Cenla tailback Jacob Thomas brought down hard by ASC

Unfortunately for ASC the big play capabilities of 3^rd ranked Cenla proved too much as the Lions took just three plays to reach the end zone on their next possession. Graham Kelly hit Jacob Thomas on a picture perfect 57 yard touchdown toss and catch down the ASC sideline with 2:25 left in the half. Kelly then connected with Thomas again for a successful 2-point conversion to give Cenla a 26-6 advantage which they would take into the locker-room at the half.

Cenla increased the lead on their second possession of the 3^rd quarter as a Jacob Thomas 15 yard run culminated a 6 play, 51 yard drive to push the lead to 32-6 with 1:30 left in the quarter.

Cenla defensive lineman Josh Smith notched his second fumble recovery of the night on ASC’s next play to give the Lion’s the football deep in Rebel territory at the 23 yard line. Three plays later quarterback Graham Kelly darted 23 yards around the left side into the endzone and followed by hitting Devonta Dunbar for the 2-point hookup to give Cenla a commanding 40-6 lead with 50 seconds remaining in the 3^rd quarter.

Cenla’s final score came on a Jacob Thomas 44 yard burst at the 6:58 mark of the 4^th quarter. Jeremiah Jefferson converted on the 2-point attempt to give Cenla a 48-6 advantage.

Cenla racked up 400 yards of total offense, 278 coming by way of rushing and 122 through the air.

Senior tailback Jacob Thomas (photo left) rushed for 106 yards on 8 carries and 2 touchdowns and had 5 receptions for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Senior quarterback Graham Kelly was 6/11 passing for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns and rushed for 81 yards on 6 carries and 1 touchdown.

Junior linebacker Devonta Dunbar lead Cenla with 13 tackles and one forced fumble on the night.

Bull Toler led ASC with 70 yards on 31 carries and a touchdown.

Next up for Cenla is a District 3A road game at Glenbrook while Amite (5-4) travels to 4^th ranked WCCA.
 

Post Game: Cenla head football coach Kevin Vanek

From the Notebook...................

>>November 4^th and round one playoff action is quickly approaching. With just three weeks remaining in the regular season there are some tight races in both Class AA and A that could come down to the last week to determine critical playoff seedings.

 >>The Leake Academy Lady Rebels just won their second consecutive Class AA softball state championship. The Lady Rebels also produced their second straight undefeated season going 36-0 after running up a perfect 34-0 mark last season. A big “Shout Out” to the Leake girls and their head coach Doug Jones.

 >>Moving the softball season to the spring will be brought up at the October 20th AAC meeting.
 Pros to moving
 *Weather not as warm
.*Opportunity to play non-MAIS teams
 *Help Fall pressure on athletes for schools offering volleyball, dance team, cheerleading, girls soccer
.Cons to moving
 *Not enough umpires; most of the umpires that call MAIS fast-pitch are also involved in MHSAA fast-pitch, baseball, and JUCO softball and baseball
 *Would hurt track / tennis / golf
 *Weather much worse in Spring
 *Currently the MAIS is in the spotlight; college coaches are in their off-season and quite frequently come to watch MAIS athletes play.

 >>Progress is being made in getting Southern Sports & Travel back up to full speed. There are still some issues to get worked out but things are on pace to be clicking 100% in a few weeks. Several schools contacted me offering help within a few days of announcing that the site would start back up. Big time thanks to those schools who support Southern Sports & Travel.

 >>Several news publications and writers have been gracious enough to let me post their articles on Southern Sports & Travel. If you don’t see an article from a local publication that covers your area it’s due to me not getting approval yet or getting denied approval.

 >>Thanks for reading Southern Sports & Travel.

See ya somewhere……………..

Tri-County leaves no doubt

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

Any doubt that Tri-County was undeserving of top ranked status was put to rest last night in Decatur as the Rebels crushed 7^th ranked Newton 35-6. Senior quarterback Lane Williams piled up 121 yards rushing and three touchdowns and the Tri-County defense held Newton to 85 total yards in improving to 7-0 on the year.

Tri-County junior Hunter Wooten’s fumble recovery at the Newton 46 yard line five minutes into the opening quarter set the table for the Rebel’s first scoring drive of the night. The Rebels pounded out a six play drive that produced a six yard touchdown burst off right tackle by senior fullback AJ Boutwell at the 3:37 mark. Lane Williams added the PAT to give TCA an early 7-0 advantage.

(Above) TCA tailback Brady Walker on a scoring run  

Tri-County extended the lead on their first possession of the second quarter. The Rebels mounted a nine play, 76 yard drive in which senior tailback Allen Darby accounted for 40 yards on the ground. The four minute drive was capped by a Lane Williams 12 yard dash around the right side at the 6:31 mark. William’s PAT gave the Rebels a 14-0 lead.

Newton could muster just 13 yards on their second possession of the quarter and a shanked punt that netted just 8 yards gave Tri-County favorable field position at their own 44 yard line. It didn’t take the top ranked Rebels long to strike. Lane Williams connected with tailback Brady Walker for a quick 20 yards to the Newton 36 yard line. On the next player Williams collected his second touchdown on the night as the senior scampered 36 yards to pay dirt with 1:46 remaining in the half. Williams nailed the PAT to extend the Rebel’s lead to 21-0.

(Above) The Rebel defense kept Newton's run game in check 

Tri-County continued their roll to open the second half. A 35 yard kick-off return from Trace Lane set the Rebels up at the Newton 45 yard line. Six plays later Brady Walker cashed in as the senior went in from two yards out four minutes into the quarter. Williams added the PAT for a 28-0 Rebel cushion.

The top ranked Rebels would close the deal on their next possession with a 51 yard drive that culminated on Lane Williams’ third touchdown of the night as the senior went in from nine yards out at the 3:35 mark of the third quarter. Williams added his fifth PAT of the night to give TCA a commanding 35-0 lead.

(Above) TCA defensive end Justin Sones (#82) halts Dillon Williams 

Newton would do something no team has been able to do since week one, get into the end zone against the best defense in Class A football. The Generals went 63 yards in 12 plays on the running of senior Dillon Williams who pounded out 54 yards on ten carries in the drive. Williams capped the drive with a 9 yard run with 7:01 left in the game. Newton’s 2-point attempt failed. The touchdown ended Tri-County’s defense of holding opponents scoreless at 25 consecutive quarters.

Tri-County racked up 293 yards on the ground while their defense held one of the better rushers in Class-A, Dillon Williams, to 63 yards.

The Rebels will enjoy an open week before a home date with 2^nd ranked and undefeated Winona in a huge district matchup.

Newton slips to 4-3 and will host Leake next week.

Post Game - Tri-County head coach David  Blount

The Best Interviews

Over the past few years I've been fortunate enough to interview some great coaches. Not all coaches are excited about interviews and most play it safe and stick by the old script in an effort to keep their true opinions close to their vest. I'll be posting the five coaches who don't hide their feelings when it comes to answering questions.

#1 - The best interview without doubt has been anytime I had the opportunity to talk with former Central Private head basketball coach Ed Palubinskas. I first encountered Coach Palubinskas in 2001 at The Spectrum health club in Baton Rouge where my oldest son started attending Ed's shooting clinics on Saturday mornings. My youngest son would later visit Ed in Baker on Saturday mornings so when I heard that Ed had been named head coach at Central Private it came with lots of excitement. After observing many sessions on Saturday mornings I knew that Central Private's brand of basketball would be full throttle and high octane. I also knew from experience that Ed would be confident and his confidence would be contagious to his players.

Needless to say, Ed is one of the most interesting coaches to talk to with tons of worldly experiences to accompany him.

In late January I had a lengthy phone interview with Ed. At the time Central Private was on a serious roll, sporting a 23-2 record, a number one ranking and everyone's favorite to win the Class AA title and challenge MRA for the Overall Championship.

Former Central Private head coach Ed Palubinskas

The Best Interviews

Over the past few years I've been fortunate enough to interview some great coaches. Not all coaches are excited about interviews and most play it safe and stick by the old script in an effort to keep their true opinions close to their vest. I'll be posting the five coaches who don't hide their feelings when it comes to answering questions.

#2 - The 7th ranked Brookhaven Cougars pull one of the biggest upsets in recent MAIS history with a 29-25 defeat of top ranked Central Private at the Class AA South State tournament in Columbia. The defeat ended Central Private's season. 

Brookhaven head coach Dale Watts

Wildcats surprise Bowling Green

Courtesy of The Daily News

Bowling Green School trailed throughout and suffered its first district loss of the season to Silliman Institute 42-22 on Friday night in a MAIS contest.
The Buccaneers (4-3, 1-1) amassed 298 yards of total offense with 236 of it coming on the ground. Hunter Thomas led the way with 146 yards on 23 attempts.
Buccaneer quarterback Chris Lott completed 5-of-15 passes for 62 yards. Drew Sandifer had three catches for 30 yards. Silliman (4-3, 2-1) racked up 261 yards of offense with 234 of it on the ground. Cobb Kelly gained 162 yards on 29 carries and scored three touchdowns
Silliman marched 68 yards in six plays and scored on a 14-yard touchdown run by Kelly to open the contest. Brady Brian’s point after touchdown kick made it 7-0 with 9:12 remaining in the period.
Trey Rockforte intercepted Lott and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown on the next series to make it 14-0.
In the second period, the Bucs mounted a 7-play, 73-yard drive that was capped by a Thomas’ 6-yard touchdown run with 4:55 left in the first half. Lott hit Thomas for a 19-yard screen pass on the drive.
The Wildcats returned a blocked punt 32 yards in the third quarter to go ahead 21-6.
Rockforte’s second interception halted a Bowling Green drive to the Wildcat 23 but Grant Ball followed with and interception for the Buccaneers. Kelly’s 13-yard run made it 28-6 with 4:54 left in the third after a fumble.
Kelly added an 8-yard touchdown after a shanked punt to make it 35-6 with 2:07 left in the quarter.
Keith Paul Dufren’s 58-yard run set up his 2-yard touchdown and Jarrell Mark’s conversion run cut it to 35-14 with 56 seconds left in the third.
Todd Bourgeois’ 18-yard run made it 42-14 before Bowling Green countered with a 7-play 55-yard drive that was capped by a 4-yard run by Thomas. Sebastian Milton ran in the conversion to reflect the final tally.

The Best Interviews

Over the past few years I've been fortunate enough to interview some great coaches. Not all coaches are excited about interviews and most play it safe and stick by the old script in an effort to keep their true opinions close to their vest. I'll be posting the five coaches who don't hide their feelings when it comes to answering questions.

 

#3 - The Centreville Tigers take a 35-14 road win against Central Private to win the District 5AA Championship.

Centreville head coach Bill Hurst

The Best Interviews

Over the past few years I've been fortunate enough to interview some great coaches. Not all coaches are excited about interviews and most play it safe and stick by the old script in an effort to keep their true opinions close to their vest. I'll be posting the five coaches who don't hide their feelings when it comes to answering questions.

#4 - The Trinity Saints beat Brookhaven 34-28 to end the defending state champion's 22 game winning streak.

Trinity head coach David King and senior Kent King

Raiders overpower Generals

Courtesy of The Meridian Star

The Lamar Raiders celebrated homecoming Friday by making quick work of Newton County Academy.
With the Generals visiting Grey Cobb Field, Lamar scored on six of its first seven possessions and rolled 49-12.
"They're a hard-nosed scrappy team and we knew it was going to be tough tonight," Lamar coach Mac Barnes said after his 251st career win. "."
Using a fourth-down offsides penalty from NCA to keep their first drive alive, the Raiders went 65 yards in seven plays to take the lead early. Tyler Harris capped it with a 39-yard touchdown pass to Gane Duggan, the first of three passing scores from the senior.  Lamar's lone empty drive before the final one of the half came with 7:32 left in the first and helped lead to the Generals' first score. Taking over on its own 42, NCA pulled within one when Dillon Williams broke loose for a 52-yard scamper on third down.
"That was about it," Generals coach Robert Roberts said. "That's about all we did. They had our number."
From there, though, it was all Raiders. Corey Skinner ended the next two drives with runs of 1 and 11 yards as Lamar led 21-6 after the first quarter. Neither drive lasted longer than two minutes.
And the Raiders (5-2) didn't slow down any in the second quarter. Harris again hit Duggan, this time from 37 yards, for a touchdown on Lamar's first possession of the period. Harris, who finished 14 of 23 for 231 yards, completed all five of his passes on the drive.
Barrett Dudley, who rushed for 40 yards and threw for 29 more, hit Michael Marcello on a 3-yard scoring pass to make it 35-6 with 6:14 left in the half. Dudley accounted for all but a 5-yard run from Shane Blanton on the seven-play, 30-yard drive.
"They are tough," Roberts said. "They just outmanned us. They beat us passing, they beat us running. They're just a good team."
The Generals, who fell to 4-2, would get there final score on the next drive. Taking advantage of a pair of Lamar personal foul penalties, NCA needed just 1:16 to go 70 yards. The drive ended on a 4-yard Kizer Ables run. Ables finished with 33 yards on eight carries as the Generals mustered just 123 yards of offense — 98 coming on Williams' 19 carries.
"The one thing about our team I still don't like is we have lapses, mental mistakes and we have to work on," Barnes said. "It's your seventh game of the season and you have to eliminate those.
"That's a good team in Class A and I think they'll go far. I hope we can go far in AA.
"Williams made some good 5-10-12 yard runs. They played hard."
Lamar, though, again had the answer. And what an answer it was. One play after Skinner dashed 22 yards — the junior had a team-high 73 on 14 carries — Harris hit Chase Davis on a 5-yard touchdown. Davis, though, twisted around for the throw behind him and grabbed the high liner with one hand as he was getting tackled by the defensive back.
"He had some real catches tonight," Barnes said. "We've got some good athletes and if we can put it all together, I think we have a chance to go far."
On the lone scoring drive in the second half — which game with 10:07 left — Davis made another acrobatic catch for 15 yards from Dudley. That drive ended when Blanton rushed in from 7 yards out.
Lamar finished with 443 yards of offense — 183 rushing on 34 carries.

River Oaks strikes early against Spartans

Courtesy of The Bastrop Enterprise

Prairie View coach Reagan Morrison said he was pleased with his team’s second half effort against the defending MAIS Class AA champion River Oaks.
The Spartans held the Mustangs offense in check after the intermission, but couldn’t close the 27-point lead the Mustangs held at half time, dropping the MAIS District 3-AA contest at Dr. E.D. Baker Field 35-6.
“I told the guys at halftime they could quit or go out there and keep playing as hard as they could,” Morrison said. “We had some bright spots, and I was pleased with their effort.”
River Oaks scored on their first play from scrimmage as Alex Biedenharn took a pitch from quarterback Ryan MacGregor going left. He then cut back toward the middle of the field and outran the Spartans’ defense for a 59-yard scoring run. Jordan Sutton added the extra point to give RO a 7-0 lead with 11:38 reaming in the first quarter.
“They’ve got real good team speed,” Morrison said. “On offense and defense, and especially their skill position people.”
Forcing PVA to punt after a three-and-out possession, Walker Thurmon’s 30-yard punt return put the Mustangs practically in the shadow of the Spartans goal post. Four plays later, MacGregor found Davis Harris for a five-yard scoring strike to push the lead to 13-0.
On their next possession, the Spartans were able to convert a third down to keep the drive alive as Cody Smith found Maclendon Sharp across the middle to move the ball to their 40 yard line. A loss of three on first down and two incompletions later, Smith’s short punt gave the Mustangs the ball again near midfield.
The Mustanges then put together their most impressive drive of the night, going 53 yards on 12 plays, using 5:23 of the first quarter. Henry Biedenharn picked up eight on fourth-and-three to keep the drive alive. Three plays later, he went in from three yards out to push the advantage to 20-0 with 28 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Taking the kickoff, the Spartans benefited from an offsides call against RO, setting up a third-and-one from their 40. Smith was forced out of the pocket and lost one on a third-and-one to kill the drive.
On first down with the ball at their 34, MacGregor found Garrett Breard streaking down the right sideline and delivered a perfect strike for a 66-yard scoring toss.
Prairie View got its only score of the night on its next possession. Smith connected with Sharp for 19 to convert a third down opportunity, and on the next play found Josh Daigle along the right sideline for a 43-yard scoring toss with 6:16 remaining in the first half.
Following another Spartan punt after the kickoff, MacGregor missed on a pass to Breard but found Harris for a 36-yard completion on the next play to move the ball deep into Spartans territory. Tristan Sheehan scored from eight yards out two plays later.
The two teams played a scoreless second half until late in the third period when the Mustangs got a safety after Henry Biedenharn nailed a 52-yard punt that was downed inside the Spartan 1-yard line.
Prairie View (2-4, 0-2) takes a break from district play next week. But it’s not really much of a break as the Spartans travel to Natchez to take on Trinity Episcopal. The Saints, last year’s MAIS Class A champs, are 5-1 for the season.

North Delta takes control with win

By Brad Greer

For most part of the season. North Delta head coach Dan Werner has not been worried about his offense lighting up the scoreboard, but has had concerns whether or not the Green Wave defense can stop their opponents. Those worries were for the most part put to rest Friday night as the Wave defense came up with a critical stop on fourth down late in the game as North Delta came away with a 44-32 victory over Marshall in a key District 1-AA matchup.

With the victory, North Delta (6-1; 2-0) takes over sole possession in the district standings while the Patriots, (6-1;2-1) fell into second place.

Taylor Morris rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns as the Green Wave scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to break open a 28-26 lead. Quarterback Tyler Pirtle threw for 150 yards while rushing for 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Pirtle's 88-yard bomb to his brother Colby Pirtle on 2nd and 25 from the Green Wave 12 gave North Delta a 36-26 advantage with 8:31 remaining in the game.

After a Luke Latham interception, Morris tacked on the final score with a one-yard run then added the two-point conversion for a 44-26 lead.

Marshall added their last score on a six-yard pass from Kevin Fitzpatrick to Aaron McAlexander with 56 seconds remaining in the game.

"We made two huge defensive plays there in the fourth quarter when we were up by ten points. After that not only did we run some time off the clock we scored on a big pass play," said Werner.

North Delta jumped out to a 6-0 lead on Tyler Pirtle's 37-yard scoring run with 4:50 left in the first quarter. The Patriots answered with a three-play, 54-yard drive that ended with a 27-yard scoring run by Fitzpatrick. McAlexander caught the two-point conversion pass from Fitzpatrick to give the visitors a 8-6 lead.

North Delta retook the lead at 14-8 early in the second quarter on Pirtle's three-yard run and two-point conversion. Colby Pirtle's 22-yard reception on 4th & 14 from the Patriot 25 key the drive.

Marshall knotted the game a 14-14 with less than a minute to play before halftime as Fitzpatrick connected with McAlexander again with a 14-yard pass.

A bizarre play occurred on North Delta's last possession of the half as Morris appeared to be tackled at midfield after a 21-yard gain, but stayed on his feet and raced into the endzone for a 71-yard touchdown run to give the Green Wave at 20-14 halftime lead. "I do not know what happened. I thought he (Morris) was down, but he must have rolled onto another player and got back up. I thought he was down and I look up and he is in the endzone," said Werner.

Marshall took the second half kickoff and marched 58 yards on nine plays as Chase Farrell scored from seven yards out to tie the game a 20-20.

North Delta took the lead for good on the following play from scrimmage as Morris took a pitchout and raced 58 yards for his second touchdown of the game. Pirtle added the two-point conversion to make the score 28-20 with 6:25 left in the third quarter.

The Patriots closed the gap to 28-26 on Ferrell's two-yard run at the 3:11 mark of the third.

"We have not been playing up to our potential on defense these last few games so we had to step it up tonight, "said sophomore linebacker Parker Jones.  "We came out with a chip on our shoulder because our offense can not winevery game so we had to start making plays on defense," said Jones.

North Delta finished with 463 total yards of offense including 313 on the ground. Marshall meanwhile tallied up 377 yards of offense.

Fitzpatrick led the Patriots with 17-of-23 passing for 249 yards.

North Delta hosts Lee,(Ark.) Friday.

The Best Interviews

Over the past few years I've been fortunate enough to interview some great coaches. Not all coaches are excited about interviews and most play it safe and stick by the old script in an effort to keep their true opinions close to their vest. I'll be posting the five coaches who don't hide their feelings when it comes to answering questions.
  
#5 - The Leake Rebelettes beat Brookhaven 51-47 to win their sixth straight Class AA championship.

Leake head coach Doyle Wolverton and senior Jenny Wilbanks